Connecting means for floor racks



M3; 12, 1930. M. fs JHNsoN.

K comlscmm mns-ron mon uxs,

F1106 April 18, 1927 N MN,

l if M lPatented Aug. 1.27, 1930 MALCOLM s, JOHNSON, ON c: ist"1c :neo,l ILLINOIslssIGNOn 1 1 sifnrNerinLn,k ILLINOIs OONNECTING MEANS 'FoRrLOOR imoizsfl I Y My invention relates to means forjhingedly 'A connecting' togetherthe floor racksl'or superj the racks and therefore "beneath the colnf` y racks superposed Yon `the `car-floor proper,

posed floor seotionsemployed in railroadfreight oars for'theshipinent of commodities requiring proper ventilationV orfair circulation intermediate' ofthe. rnain cariloor and modities. M

These superposed floors or Aracksa usually made in suitable sections arranged length-k wise ofthe car on each sideofthe longitudinal center of the Voar,"to yperrn'it'the` sanieftobe easily handled and also 'enable fthern fto` Ibe' Iindependently `raised and lowered out and c into operative position when desired@ Myinventionhas for its object the provi-f,

` sion of a Simplegdevioe whereby "theprede-f termined sectionswill Sbe'fhingedly secured'to- A gether so as to permit the respective floor! racksections tO-be lmoved intoparalle'l juxta- Y position, either' into face-toffaoe orjback-to-f f: .tion will be apparentffroxn the following Y tailed description of the preferred em A mentof the invention shown in the drawing f` V"3o.

back relation, depending". upon whether' eertain of said sections are to remain in lowered position or are in 'raised position'ag'ainst the carwall.'V i Y The objects andadvantages of my finvn-- wherein.- I; y

Figurej l` is a 4sectional plan vofV a-portion of i aV oar,the fioor whereofis provided with floorr l While other seetionsarefolded intofbeek-to-y r 'back relation and raisedagainst-th'e car. sidev` gether by my ,irriprovedn1ean's.`- I n y the direction ,of thearrovvs.l

A proved conneoting"1neans,"with'certain sec; I .A 'improved connecting means .between the rack sections connected ltogeth'er by vmy irntionsy folded over'intofacetofaeefre1ation,

f Figure 3 isv a side elevation oftheiconnect ing means and portions of'floor-ra'ok sections es shown in Figure 2.x; 1 L f/ j Figure 4 isa sectional view taken osubstan: tially on the line 4-4$ of Figureviewed `in a Figure 5 is a side elevationof adjacent ends of oorr'ack sections connected togetherrby g kfeatures of the invention may refrlgeratorfear orfin any ordinary freight.

is used for yor 1927."VV n serial No. 154,486.

Vmy AHfprovedmeans and shown in back-toback relation.

The invention is notl limited to any plan` ticular type of. freight cari" as the `general` be used in any car employing a supplemental'floor or floor wherein certain of the sections of the floorea 'f rack erefns'ually permanentlyhinged 4tothe 'floor proper edjacentfto the `side wallof the ear so. as to permit the'raok to be folded" up v parallel with the carsidewall whentheear dinary lading Vor when the car floor istobeeleaned. Freightfoars, when ein-l ployedfforthejshipment of bananas for in -f yusually shipped in large clusters, tobepacked with the butt-ends ofthe Steins ofeaeh' cluster resting onuv thefloor-racks. ,In 1shipping openings between the ,runnersy or planks not grenter than a -certainfpredetermined bananasinthis manner it is essential thatthe i dimension (generally specified by theraila roads) order kthat the stemswill notenter betweenthese adjacent planksv allowthe Q heavy elusters to rest on' 'the bananas, which would lresult in damaging thelsameifItis,"

likewise essential', Y when theV `floor i therefore o own in position,` to` keepthe spacing betweenA the respective rs'c :lctionsfof the floorf 'rack within the prescribed dimensions. Myv

r9* l c speotive sectionsis devised to meet .the rej qulre'rnents referred to while at the same time "permitting easy manipulation ofthe coniparative'ly"heavy"'seotionsand allow coinpaet eral playior'shifting of a sectionrelative to its adjacentsection'.`

As vmy `invention pertains to thek means for 1 hingedly connecting the respective floor-rackl sectionst'oeaoh other, a detailed ldescription `ofthe car proper need not be entered into. y

"Thefloor-racks are generally made `in se'o- A tions'of suitable length to extend intermediate ofthe 4car-door openings andthe endsl Aof the freightholding portion ofY the car,

with separate sections at the door openings, and of width substantially equal to half the width of the car interior, in order that similar sections may be arranged on each side of y, the longitudinal lcenter line of the car.

In the drawing, Figure 1, a portion of the side wallsofiaim are shownat 10,10provided with the usual side-door openings 11,

11; the doors being omitted. The ifloor ofA 1a ,therearsshemnfprovidedwith heier-reeks consisting offsuitable sections 212, :arranged y Vf5 theiloor-rack on one side of the door-opening While ,the other rsection will fold onto the 'loorfrac'k onthe opposite side ,of the doorq ning. l r 1 Theoor-racks consist ofsuitable-sleepers Boor stringers 14 of'length ye, ual tothe desired @len h off the respective iioorfrack sections `en of suitable numberinlparallel spaeedrelation ,as shown in Figure Q1.' The s'leepersor strin ers are turn provided with superose runners or flanks 15 arrangedn predetermined space parallelrelation with each other transversely of thesleepersorstringers 'to which ,they are secured. As previously stated, the spacing between the-superposed me runners or p anks *must notexceedpa ,predetermined ,specified dimension for reasons ',hei'etoforeset `forth. Theiloor-rack sections 12, namely thesections intermediate V`of ,the 'd0Qropen`1ngs .and the ends ni .the lading holdingportion ofthe ear are; usually hingedlyfeonnected by meansof a well knowmtype of hnge (notshowln) to .the .floor proper orto ,es'ide walllofthecar so as to permit the y 5r-,rack .toswingupwardly against Atheside` '1 `ilv'ull oftheoar, as indicated atthe lower right hand sideof Figure l.

Inorderito secure all ofthe sections `against,

digqlaeementeand loss, it is Y essentiazltht ,the

rdoor-vopening sections 13 Abelhingedly secured .in plceto t erespectivefadjacent,sections12 in a manner Whidh twill .permit ready moyemet of the dcor-sectionsintotandout oflp- -M'Biim Position .requiring .special or o rwdue .manipulation insucheyrug'mg movement .As le mill known in railroad fipraotiee,

Y fraightlw mefganenalby epotted` ainuorder i wperniithadingnrba freightsearwtpa dista-nce 'lanmned'i'rmmthe loading platform; .this iop- ,5 vkMunition' beingicaned out lbyfmeans nifl-hand- @dus wheeled 'through'the deer-openings `of fof the type having a flut head 21 adpted y .vided with al similar @Minoli sections of a car through which the truck is to pass are down in operative lposition,itislihen customaryto swing the dooropening sections 13 over onto the main floorac'k sections,namely in the face-to-face B0 ynelatiorLshownin Figure .1 at theupper side .ofthe ligure so as toprovidee cleropening. Where the Vmain or .permanently .hinged sections, for ilustration .thesectons :12, are Vfolded upout ,of `operative position .into-parallel yrela-tion with thepar side Wall, .the door sections of the loor-raok, -or adjacently hinged sections, should then ,be capable of :folding into lniekwtoflamk,relation as illustraitedfinfthelowersideof Figure Lund fas shown in Figure 45. y Inorder tolfpermit vthelatter condition Vit isrneeessary to arrange prtheffsleepers or stringere 16 ofathe .door )aecv`tiene l0,3 in staggered relation :with the stringere 1A of :the permanently `neem-ed L or 95 ihingediseetions 12 infordertopermitthe respeetive stringens olf 1the 4one section to 'field `in i 'ate ofrtheroffthe other Vals shown iabFigume and `thus; allow the respective; secrtions v to whe arranged :substantially `parallel l with each otherand .in fviertical posicion ul- :jwcent tothecar side wallras shown in'lig- `um, `1.A

`M39' :improved 4connectingv means ipmembly consists of a pair of suitable mdtal jplttes 7'1'7 1prefferablytoibe secured .to the klongtu dimi sides 'and .adjacent to the ends of stringersllivas shown .in Figures@ and 3 in y,an'ywsuitlile manner, as *for example l',by'bolts 18 disposed through the stringere '14 'and held in pilace'by suitablenuts 1 9; the boltsf'being `also preerably provided with suitable vwvrislu'zrses at Q0. 'Thai bolts 718 preferably are ilffasidiowzm in miglia-et,- soiaslnotlto interfere with proper movement mf :the imneetig member 22. One end of member 2Q is piuotllyaequmd by meansfia suitable rivet-amt 23 W, to plate 1l? `attached to -stringer f1.4, eee Figure 4. Theladg'went .end of Stringer 16 `.ofthelom1:a.ck section 13 iis :likewise gproate 17 y:secured .tothe longitudinal face of t e strngerf'as'previously describedA and .this rplate has the .opposite end of the ACorine'ctingig member 22 pivote-ily secured thereto'at 23, see Figures 2, 3 ,and L5. As shown, in FigureZ the plates 17 are secured 'to `the opposite sides or longitudinal ,130 faces offthestringers Maud 16 in order thatA the non-flexing connecting element 23 may extend parallel.withthe` stringers.`

The connecting member 22 preferably consists of a somewhat`Ushape`metaly strap with the pivot-forming` rivets 23 disposed thiough the ends ofthe member which are secured to the plates jat a pointv just beneath the runners or planks 15. 'These connecting members 22 are of such length that the spacing between the connected floor-rack sections will be equivalent to or not greater'k than the predetermined designated spacing between the superposed planks l5 yof a section, as will be seen in Figures 1,2 and 3. At

the same time the ends of the connectingf `member 22 are a distance apart approximating the vertical width of-eitherlsleepers or stringers 14 or 1.6 in order to permit the stringers of two pivotally connected sectionsy to be vmoved into lparallel nestingrelation as shown in Figurey 5`- and atthe lower yside of Figure l to the right. of the doory opening 11,-thus permitting the connectedrack-sections to be disposed parallel withfeach other j inV lthe baclr-to-bac-k compact relation disclosed. When thev sections Vare/folded into Y 1 back-to-back relation, theconnectingmember 22 will be disposedina horizontalfplane; whereas when a section is foldedgoveronto an adjacent section in face-to-face relation the connecting member 22 will be vertically disposed as shown in dotted linesY in Figure 3, at which time the connecting member will s-traddle the endy planks 15 of the two connected sections. A i Y lt is apparent from the construction shown l that no lateral or sidewiseV play of the connected sections is otal connection between the lsections is such that la free swinging movement into either of the positions mentioned may be quickly madel without special adjustment or movement oth! er than the lifting opta-section upwardly and f onto the lowered floor-rack section forfaceto-face relation, or swinging the free ,end through the are ota horizontally disposed circle after the largepermanently-secured section has been swung upwardly against the side of the car wall. A With my improvedvconnecting means a binding of the 'connecting means is j possible and'that the piv- Y bination with a pair of aligned sections, a single piece member, the opposite ends whereof are pivotally connected to the opposing endsfof said floor-rack sections, while the intermediate portionoi' said member is disposed toward one side of the pivotal axes ofsaid endsf l 2. Connecting means for the floor-rack sections of a railroad car comprising, in combination with a vpair of aligned sections, a connecting member having a non-flexing inter-mediate portion and two end portions disposed -toward the same side of the longitudinal aXis of the intermediate portion,`and

means whereby said end portions are pivotallyconnected to the adjacent ends of two rack` sections.

3. Connecting means for the floor-rack sections of a railroad car comprising a non-flexingsingle piece member the ends whereof are disposed beyond one longitudinal side of the member, said ends being of equal length, and

means pivotally connected to saidends whereby the connecting member may be connected Y `to they adjacent ends of two floor-rack sections. Y

4; In ycombination Vwith'the Hoor-rack sect i tionsof a railroad car, the s tringers of adjacent sectionsbeing arranged in longitudinal staggered relatiompivot providing members secured to the opposite faces of the string-` ers of adjacentV sections, andV a non-flexing single piece-member having ends disposed `toward oneside of the body portion of said jmeinber,the ends of said member being pivotally secured to said first mentioned members. Y Y

5. Connecting means vtor the floor-rack sec'- attaching plates, and ya non-flexing -shap'e strap, each end whereof ispivotallyconnected to one of said plates.

` (S.v Connecting means fori the floor-rack sections-of a railroad car comprising a single pieceY member composed of two attaching portions of equal length and a rigid connecting portion integral with said attaching portions and disposedA at an an le'thereto;

MALCOLM JOHNSON.

impossible', while at the same time-a positive times maintained when the floor-rack sections are in operative position.

' The structure disclosed is believed vto bel departing from the spaced relation betweenthe adjacent ends of the connected floor-rack sections is jat allV tions of a railroad car comprising Va air 0f.A 

